Warmth in the Snow
by Lord Chaltier
Summary: A holiday oneshot involving two ToD characters most would never have thought possible. Stahn X Mary.


OOC: I know it's a bit early for Christmas fics, but this idea just came to me one day, and I had to write on it. I realize that it's probably not called "Christmas" in the Tales of Destiny world, but "Atonomimas" doesn't really roll off the tongue as smoothly, does it? As strange as it might sound, I think Stahn and Mary make an interesting couple. Completely impossible as far as the games go, yes, but that's what fanfiction is for. I hope you enjoy this little Stahn and Mary one-shot, and happy holidays!

* * *

Tales of Destiny

Warmth in the Snow

It was the day of Christmas. The town of Cyril lay covered in snow as it did for most of the year. The people of the small town went about their daily business, preparing for the big celebration. It was a time for familes to come together, and for friends to reunite.

"Ah, it looks great!" Mary Argent nodded in approval to herself at her work. She held up a huge plate of beast meat roast, the succulent meal steaming from its time consuming simmer under the flames of Efreet. Setting it on the main table in the dining room of her home, Mary took a step back and admired her work. A grand spread lay before her, barely any part of the table underneath showed past the many dishes of fresh food that lay atop it.

Mary hummed a happy tune to herself as she tossed off her apron and took a seat in the den. She was dressed in her finest armor, and her reddish-orange hair was neatly tied behind her shoulders. Picking up a nearby cookbook, Mary patiently waited for her guests to arrive.

It had been almost a year since Mary and her friends had defeated Kronos and saved the world from the tyrannical grip of the Aetherians. With the help of the mighty Swordians, the forces of the Ethe'rs, led by Stahn Aileron, the king of the sky people was overthrown, and the floating fortress that was Dycroft was destroyed. The Eye of Atonomi, which led to the uprise of the war between the people of the land and the people of the sky, was also destroyed, but at the ultimate cost of the lives of the Swordians. While she was not an actual part of the Eye's destruction, Mary stood alongside her friends anyway. She wasn't a Swordian Master, but she held strength comparable to any of her other comrades. Mary's boundless drive got her through countless battles, but at one time, that energy was nearly lost.

_"Dalis!"_

Dalis, Mary's husband, had been brainwashed and turned against her. Mary remembered all too well that fateful meeting in Heidelberg. He struck her across the face, the shock of what was happening left Mary paralyzed on the floor, unable to move. She could hear the sounds of weapons striking, and the next thing she knew, Dalis lay on the ground, mortally wounded. Looking up once more, Mary saw something that almost tore her heart in two pieces.

_He_ stood there, the blood of her beloved Dalis dripping off the point of his blade.

She wanted to hate him, she tried her best to hate him for killing Dalis, but deep down, she couldn't. While it pained her to realize it, Mary knew he, just as the rest, were only fighting to protect themselves. They bore no malice in their attacks, and only by laying Dalis to rest were they able to safeguard their own lives and continue on in their quest.

_"Mary..."_

_"I will watch over her, please, continue on your journey."_

The words from days long gone came back in full force for Mary on this very day. This was supposed to be a day when she and her husband would celebrate the holidays, to love each other even stronger than ever before. But it was not to be.

Mary set the book she was reading down on her lap and closed her eyes, trying not to think about such grim images. This was going to be a day of happiness, Mary was finally going to see all her friends again. She continued to live a life of solitude in Cyril, and rarely were her friends able to visit due to her isolation from them. Most lived on seperate continents, so visits were scarce. But not tonight, Mary was ready to welcome all her dear friends into her simple home and relish over memories of the past, both good and bad.

There was a knock on the front door, and Mary jumped out of her seat and ran to it, flinging it open with great force.

"Lady Argent." A knight of Heidelburg Castle greeted Mary as she took in the full site of her visitor.

"Yes?" Mary said, her voice coming down a note or two.

"It is with deepest regret that I must inform you that His Excellency Kelvin and Lady Torn will be unable to attend your gathering tonight. The King has undergone serious diplomatic discussions that are crucial to the continued peace we share with the Kingdom of Seinegald."

"Oh...I see..." Mary said dejectedly. "Thank you."

The knight bowed respectively to Mary and was then on his way. Mary shut the door behind her and sighed. She took a seat at the dinner table and poured herself a glass of wine.

"Ah well." Mary said simply. "I can visit Garr and Chelsea any time I want, they're not too far from here."

Perking up once more, Mary sipped her wine contently as she continued to wait for the rest of her friends.

**_Hours pass..._**

"Happy holidays...everyone..." Mary said, letting the empty wine glass fall to the floor. A hollow echo rang about the empty room.

Mary pulled herself to her feet and looked over her hard work. The food had long since gone cold, and sat completely untouched.

"Leftovers..." Mumbled the downtrodden Mary as she scooped up her wine glass and poured herself another drink. Taking the half-full glass to her room, Mary sat down on her bed and looked into her mirror. She grinned at her reflection.

She was a powerful warrior, but also a happy homemaker. Her skills with the frypan were as polished as her skills with the sword. Dalis had been the one to teach her how to cook originally. Only light meals suited for battle, but regardless, he had showed her there was much more to life than fighting. Mary further enhanced her skill with cooking as time went by, and soon she had grown into a master chef. Unfortunately, she was rarely ever able to show her culinary talents to anyone, the last time she had was for Stahn when he wanted to learn how to make Beast Meat Stew.

That seemed so long ago now, but Mary could still remember Stahn walking into her house, and seeing her crying her eyes out.

"No..."

That was the wrong memory! She had to suppress it right away!

_"Mary...are you in here...?"_

_"Who's there...?"_

"Not this again..." Mary said angrily, throwing her wine glass at the wall. The frail crystal goblet shattered instantly upon impact, its content painting the wall in a dark red hue. Mary dropped her head into her pillow and tried to drown out the flood of oncoming memories.

_"My grandpa told me to never leave a crying girl alone." _

"Am I a little girl?"

"No no...that's not what I meant..."

Mary scoffed when she remembered what she had done that day. She was overcome with grief, and found solace the only way she could think of, collapsing into _his_ arms, the arms that held the blade that killed Dalis. Mary wept for what seemed like hours, bearing her tortured soul to him, all the while soaking his pearly white armor with her tears. The entire time, all he did was stand there, silently taking in all that she had to say, nodding contently to her heartfelt cries of anguish. And when she had finally finished, he once again welcomed her into his ranks.

_"Thanks...but I don't think I'm ready to fight with you again just yet..."_

And the day when she felt ready to journey outside of Cyril once more, he appeared, almost as if on cue.

_"It'll be nice to get out of the house. I'm glad I can come with you again."_

Another knock on the front door snapped Mary out of her brooding. Looking outside, Mary saw that it was incredibly late now, so the chances of it being anyone she was expecting were slim to none. Still, she got to her feet and walked to the door, inching it open slowly. A fierce blizzard outside greeted her as she did so, the harsh winds making her shiver almost instantly.

"Who's there?" Mary called out, blocking her eyes from the onslaught of snow that continued to bombard her face.

"Am I too late for the party?" A voice asked innocently.

Mary's face lit up happily.

"Not at all, come on in."

The figure made their way into the abode as Mary shut the door behind them. The person patted themselves down, trying to get some of the snow off that was plastered onto them.

"Sorry..." The person mumbled. "You wouldn't believe how hard it is to charter a boat at this time of the year."

"I'm just glad you came." Mary said warmly. "But you look a little under the weather."

"I forgot my Fur Cape at home..."

"Ha ha ha, that's so like you, I swear you'll never change Stahn."

"Yeah yeah yeah..." Grunted Stahn as he brushed the globs of snow out of his spiky blonde hair.

"You could've just bought another one in Frostheim before you came here, you know." Mary said with a grin.

"I spent all my money on the boat ticket, I had to practically bribe the guy into letting me get on." Said Stahn.

"You saved the world, and yet you still get charged for something as simple as a boat ticket?" Mary questioned. "My, what is the world coming to these days?"

"Beats me..." Stahn said with a sniffle. "So, where's everyone else?"

"Dunno..." Mary said with a shrug. "You're the only one who actually decided to show up."

"Seriously?"

"Does it look like I'm kidding?" Mary asked, motioning to her quiet house.

"Jeez..." Stahn mumbled. "...the heck are those guys doing? I mean come on!"

"I'm sure they have their reasons, as you probably do." Mary said.

"Huh?"

"Shouldn't you be with your sister and your grandfather? It _is_ that time of the year."

"Yeah, I know." Stahn said. "But I see Lilith and Grandpa every day, I hardly ever get to see you guys anymore, so that's why I decided to come."

"Well..." Mary began. "There's not really much left for us to do, it's quite late."

"Sure there is!" Beamed Stahn. "I'll bet there's lots of stuff we can do!"

"Like?"

"Um...well we could...uh...maybe...no...how about...shoot..."

"Just as I figured." Said Mary.

"That doesn't mean we can't spend some time together, Mary. Even if it's just the two of us, we can still make something of it."

"Oh?" Mary said with a raised eyebrow. "You want to spend time together huh? Why Stahn, that's so sweet of you."

"Aw heck..." Stahn said bashfully. "What are friends for?"

"You're such a gentleman. Why, if Rutee weren't so crazy about you, I'd just have to take you for myself."

"What was that about Rutee?" Stahn asked, his eyes returning to Mary after momentarily being locked onto the spread of food on the dinner table a few yards away.

"It's nothing, forget it." Mary said with a low snicker. "So, what would you like to do? I'm not really tired, so I'm up for just about anything."

"I dunno...I haven't figured anything out yet..." Stahn admitted.

"How about...a walk outside?" Proposed Mary.

"But it's freezing out there!" Whined Stahn. "And I didn't bring my cape!"

"That's okay." Mary said dilligently. "I just happen to have a spare."

"Really? Okay then!" Stahn mused happily. "Let's go!"

"I just need one second to get ready." Mary said, walking to her room and shutting the door behind her. Stahn eyed up the food laying on the dinner table, and his eyes lit up hungrily.

"Don't even think about it!" Mary's stern voice could be heard from her room. "That's for later!"

"But...I'm hungry now..." Stahn mumbled.

The young man took a seat in the chair closest to the fireplace and held his hands up to it.

"Achoo!"

"Bless you!" Mary said with a chortle, her hearty laughter heard throughout the room.

"Stupid cold weather...Achoo!"

Stahn hobbled the chair closer to the fire and tried to soak in as much heat as possible. The flames warmed his body quite well, taking away the feeling of numbness the cold weather outside brought. Sure, it was foolish for Stahn to run around without adequate clothing, but it didn't matter to him. He would've braved the bitter frost all over again to see his friends, they were an irreplaceable part of his life.

"Thanks for waiting." Mary said as the door opened once more.

"About time...ah...?" Stahn trailed off.

Mary's hair now hung loosely about her shoulders. Her muscular body was completely covered by the cape she wore. Stahn was caught off guard for a moment. It didn't look like the Mary he knew, and he couldn't help himself but stand there in awe, his mouth hanging open.

"Hey, quit staring, it's rude." Mary warned as she threw another cape at Stahn.

"Oof!" Stahn grunted as the cape of beast fur smacked him across the face.

Minutes later, Stahn was led outside by Mary. She shut the door behind her and wrapped her cape tighter around her body. The weather had died down a bit, and now a calm feeling emanated throughout the quiet town. The two then started off into a light stroll, talking about many different things.

"So, did Lilith ever figure out how to make Beast Meat Stew properly?"

"Not really..." Stahn mumbled, thinking of his sister's attempts to replicate Mary's trademark dish. "She always cooked the meat too long, so it always turned out really...burnt."

"Yes," Mary said with a nod. "Efreet's flames are enough to cook even the rawest of meats in a matter of moments, not much time is needed for it to work its magic."

"I sure wish Lilith would've realized that, because every time she ran out, she'd make me go get another Efreet idol. Do you know how long it takes to sail to that island? There's not even a port, so I have to swim to shore!" Stahn muttered.

"What about the Draconis?" Mary suggested.

"..." Stahn stayed silent for a few minutes, his face turning sour.

"...You forgot about the Draconis, didn't you?" Mary said, trying to fight back laughter.

"Damn it..." Stahn mumbled, smacking himself in the face. "Nice thinking Aileron...oh yeah, couldn't forget about theflying ship you began your journey on could you? No, course not..."

Mary could no longer hold back, and let loose with a hearty guffaw.

"Jeez..." Stahn said, turning away with an embarrassed look on his face. "Can we change the subject please?"

"But this is just too funny!" Chortled Mary.

"Grrr..." Stahn said in a low grumble.

"Okay okay." Mary said as she finally stopped laughing. "I've got an idea on where to go."

"Where?"

Without another word, Mary grabbed Stahn by the hand and began leading him around town.

"Mary? Where are we going?" Stahn asked.

"You'll see." Mary replied.

"Huh...?" Stahn said lowly, noticing that Mary's hand was clasped around his rather tightly. This brought a sense of curiousity up, whereever they were going seemed to be of some importance to Mary, as she seemed determined to bring Stahn to it. Even if he wanted too, Stahn knew he wouldn't be able to escape Mary's powerful grip, so he tried his best to keep up with her strides.

"Here we are." Mary said minutes later. She let go of Stahn's hand.

"Oh man..." Stahn trailed off when he saw where he had been taken to.

It was the cemetary, located a ways away from Cyril, covered in an area thick with trees. Many headstones lined the ground, their dim gray colors almost unnoticeable due to all the snow that covered them.

Stahn watched as Mary made her way over to one particular headstone and knelt down before it. That was all he needed to know. He then walked over beside Mary and knelt down alongside her.

_"Here lies Dalis Argent._

_Devoted Soldier_

_Loving Husband_

_Never forgotten, always loved._

_R.I.P."_

"Mary...I'm sorry..." Stahn said lowly. "I can understand if you're still mad..."

"Of course I'm not." Mary said. "In fact, I'm quite happy."

"You are?"

"Yes. I'm happy because I was able to show you this. This is the first time I've ever come to Dalis' grave with anyone else. It makes me happy to know that I have people like you in my life who can share in my troubles. If all of you weren't around, I probably would've taken my own life a long time ago..."

"Mary, don't say that..." Stahn whispered. "You know Dalis wouldn't want you to do anything as crazy as that."

"I know, he raised me to be much better." Mary said. "Remember what I said to you almost a year ago?"

"About Dalis being your teacher, as well as your savior?"

"That's right." Mary nodded. "To this day, I'm still not really sure if I loved Dalis. I was devoted to him without a shadow of a doubt, but I don't know if it was because he saved my life, or something else. I owe so much to him, but yet I feel like I can't seem to find the right feelings to love him as a wife should love her husband."

"I'll bet he didn't see it that way." Stahn said. "He protected you from so much, even from himself. What else is there to call that besides unrequited love?"

"Maybe..."

"Listen Mary," Stahn began to speak once more. "I wasn't there for the entire thing, but when I fought against him, I learned alot about Dalis."

"You did...?" Mary choked out, her voice becoming riddled with a mixture of anticipation and sadness.

"Yeah. I guess you can call it a warrior's intuition or something like that. Whatever it was, I could tell from Dalis' movements that this wasn't something he wanted. He didn't want to put you through such torture, he hated seeing you like you were. He knew he'd never escape what he had been trapped into, so he asked me to end his suffering, and yours too."

"...you think that killing Dalis ended my suffering...?" Mary said through clinched teeth. "How could you even remotely think something as stupid as that!"

"Because he told me, through his actions." Stahn replied simply.

"Shut up!" Mary shrieked, shoving Stahn to the ground with a hard shove. "Why would he tell you this, and not me!"

"He couldn't Mary. He was ashamed of what he had become, and he didn't want you to see him in such a pathetic state."

"That's enough!" Mary said angrily. "Who the hell are you to even think you knew more about Dalis than me! I loved him with all of my heart and soul, I spent years with him, and you're saying you learned this from one battle!"

"I thought you said you didn't know if you loved him or not?" Stahn inquired, getting to his feet.

"...I...I..." Mary stuttered, tears stinging at the corner of her eyes.

"Mary, you're right, I didn't know anything about Dalis until the day I met him in Heidelburg, but you have to believe me. This was something he wanted."

"...and you say this because you know?"

"I wouldn't be saying it otherwise."

Stahn got to his feet and looked Mary in the eyes.

"I can't ever tell you how sorry I am that I was forced to do something like that, but I did what I had to do. You're my friend, how could I let something like that continue on? I couldn't, and I did what I thought was right. It wasn't just for our sake, or just for yours, but for Dalis' too."

"...I know..." Mary said to herself. "You're such an impulsive kid, I guess it only came natural..."

"That had something to do with it, but I also couldn't let him suffer like he was. He was dragging you down with him, and he didn't want that in the least bit."

"...Okay, you can stop now..." Mary said.

"Sorry..." Said Stahn with a heavy sigh.

He turned to the gravestone of Dalis and bowed his head respectively.

"Don't be sad Mary..."

"Huh...?"

"Dalis is always watching over you, you know, and I know it."

"I do..." Mary said.

"But not just Dalis, we're all here for you."

"Only it's just you tonight." Mary pointed out.

"Sometimes, one is all that's needed. Wouldn't you agree?"

Mary looked at Dalis' grave once, and then back at Stahn.

"Yeah..." She admitted quietly.

"Come on, I'm starting to get frostbite out here, let's go back inside."

This time it was Stahn who took hold of Mary's hand and led her back to her home. The two stretched out as they removed their capes and sat at the dinner table.

"Hope you enjoy cold food." Mary said timidly.

"Food is food!" Stahn exclaimed as he grabbed a multitude of dishes and began shoveling them into his mouth at a rapid pace. Mary watched in shock the entire time.

"A little hungry were we?" Mary said as she nibbled slowly on her serving of food.

"Kinda sorta..." Stahn said playfully as he downed another helping of beast meat roast.

_**Thirty minutes later...**_

"Ahhhhh!" Stahn sighed contently as he patted his stomach. "That was great! You're such a great cook Mary!"

"It comes from years of experience." Mary said as she poured herself and Stahn a glass of wine. "Shall we? A toast to good friends coming together for the holidays."

"Uh..." Stahn bumbled as Mary slid the second glass over to him. "I'm still not old enough for that kinda stuff..."

"It'll be our little secret." Mary said teasingly.

Stahn picked up his glass and eyed it nervously, shootingquick looks at Mary.

"Don't be so shy, one glass won't do much to you." Mary told him.

"It's not that..."

"Then what is it?"

"Mary, you sure look different with your hair down."

"What?"

"You do, it's just soweird to see you like this. I'm used to seeing the ditzy warrior I traveled with, but now I see a woman almost completely the opposite of the Mary I remember."

"Who's ditzy?" Mary said with an evil glare.

"...N...no one! Nevermind!" Stahn said as he gulped his drink down in a matter of seconds.

"Better." Mary nodded in approval as she finished off her own glass.

"Wow, it's really late." Stahn said. "I wish I was able to get here sooner, but I guess I should really get going."

"Alright." Mary agreed as she stood up and began to clear the table. "You can take that cape with you for the trip back, just make sure to bring it back later, okay?"

"Okay, thanks Mary." Stahn said, once again picking up the cape Mary had lent him and flinging it over his shoulders. He then made his way to the door and put his hand on the knob.

"Keep in touch Stahn, I miss you guys."

"Same here, Mary."

Stahn opened the door and began to exit, but stopped midway.

"Damn it...!" Stahn fumed, banging his head on the door frame repeatedly.

"What's wrong now?" Mary said, returning from the kitchen to take up another handful of dirty dishes.

"The boat captain said he'd be docking at Frostheim and wouldn't leave until the snow let up!"

"Oh my..." Mary said.

"That means I'm stuck here until who knows how long! Just my luck!"

With another smack of his head on the door frame, Stahn let out a heavy sigh.

"I'd better get to Frostheim fast, maybe see if there's still some rooms at the inn."

"Booked up completely well until next week I heard." Mary said.

"You've gotta be kidding..."

"Why not stay here?"

"Wha...? Here? In your house Mary?"

"Sure, why not? It gets kinda lonely at night around here with no one around."

"Ummm..."

"Oh don't act so shy Stahn, it's not like you're a complete stranger who wandered in off the streets or something. Friends look out for friends, right?"

"Yeah, you're right. Okay, I'll take you up on your offer, thanks a lot Mary."

Stahn returned inside the house and shut the door behind him.

"Good, I'll go make some room on my bed then."

"WHA...!" Stahn bellowed, his eyes nearly bulging out of his sockets.

"That's right, we can keep each other warm, good plan huh?" Mary said, a mischievious twinkle in her eye.

"Oh man..." Stahn muttered, his face finally returning to its normal color. "That is NOT funny Mary..."

"Sure it is!" She laughed heartilly. "Making you blush is not only easy, but endlessly entertaining!"

"I thought friends were supposed to be nice to friends on the holidays!" Stahn whined.

Later that night, Stahn was curled up cozily by the fireplace, wrapped completely in warm blankets, his head resting contently on a pillow. There was a sound of a door creaking open, and Mary then entered the room. She was wearing a simple nightgown, and her hair still hung loose on her shoulders. Mary smiled at the sleeping boy that lay before her, and wiped away a stray tear that fell down her cheek.

"Thank you for giving me such a wonderful guardian angel, Dalis..." Mary whispered to herself as she knelt down and planted a light kiss on Stahn's forehead. He stirred slightly, then turned on his side.

_Even amidst the bitter cold of the snow, there was still warmth to be found..._


End file.
